New Beginnings

This weekend is the end of summer and the beginning of Fall and in that manner I am celebrating by working-out. I am exploring a new running group that is training for the Carlsbad half marathon and going on a beginner, beginner bike ride and hopefully some surfing since I am moving back to my beach bungalow. Oh and a follow-up I have been reinstated on Facebook. Wahoo. Wishing everybody an amazing Labor Day Weekend.

"Because when I am bad - I am oh so bad..."

I was banned from Facebook today. I sent unintentional spam. Beware videos sent from friends. I was stupid - I shouldn't have opened or tried to run the video, but it was from a friend that I had just recently reconnected with on Facebook. It didn't seem that "bad" and then when I realized that it seemed to be sending out emails - I quickly shut down my computer, but the damage was done and my profile has poofed into the ether of the internet. I feel sadly friendless. How can I get through a Monday without knowing what my friends are doing???? I have communicated to the nameless Facebook warning group and am pleading my case. Please return my account.
On the workout front. I did a BRICK workout at the gym two miles biking, then 1 mile run - repeat. Think I need to bike longer to get the burned out leg feel, but my heart rate stayed up high the entire workout and even got the treadmill up to 7.0mph and didn't fly off the back end. Wahoo!
On the way my mind thinks-what happens to you if you exceed your maximum heart rate? Am I shortening my life by exercising? I heard something that there is like an hours of operation for our hearts. That mice have a crazy rapid heart rate and yet it beats just as long as a whale that has a crazy slow heart rate - but they both beat the same number of times before they die. I'll just have to hope that my spradic forrays into exercise are mitigated by my crazy sloth resting heart rate of 50bpm.
Maybe my heart rate monitor is counting the beats to my demise. On that happy note...

Who designs these shoes????

I am a child of the eighties, I have no problem with neon colors, but do running shoes have to be so ugly? I've loved my light blue Adidas Mana's, but since I am going to be putting some more running mileage on my shoes - I went to Movin' Shoes in Encinitas to get a new snazzy pair. I now own a pair of Nike Lunaracers. They truly defy description. They are super light-weight - look like they will do well around water. And are bound to make people smile or outright belly laugh. Perhaps it is because I am a slower runner that these seem ridiculous. Do I really want people staring at my feet? Is the goal to cause hysterics in the people behind me so that they won't be able to catch up to me? Or is this for pitch-dark runs so that everybody can see me? Not that I do any late night runs, but have no doubt that the drunk drivers will have no problem finding me with these shoes. I am taking them out for a test run this evening so I will let you know.
It was a weekend of purchases. Bought a Polar heart rate monitor so that I can see what is going on in the H20. I have a Garmin GPS 305 that I love, but will not bring in the pool with me; so I'm excited to see if I am pushing myself in the pool.
See you out on the road. You can't miss me in my new shoes =)

Race Photos

Is there anything more unflattering than race day photos? I either look like I am so zoned out, in pain, drowning, not moving, but yet I am ever after that photo that captures that feeling of the race. Also they serve as prime motivation to get back in the gym.

New Adventures

Last weekend I went and had my swimming style critiqued. It is weird to see yourself swim, but useful in that I can see how my stroke gets all messed up when I breathe and that I kick too much and that my hands enter the water very stretched out. But the good news is that I actually rotate! I always thought that I didn't do that because when I learned to swim there wasn't any focus on twisting. Why this emphasis on swimming? From my previous post you would think that swim was no issue. That is what I thought until I saw the split times from the Solana Beach Triathlon. I can only hope that the split included my clothes changing/putting on time... The swim was my slowest leg.
It broke down that bike - my newest and scariest portion was my fastest - then run (which is laughable) with such a crappy first mile, and then swim. God is funny.
So off I went to La Jolla and had my swim stroke broken down and was given a few exercises to practice. While there I met up with some fellow TCSD members. They were both training for full Ironmans. I said that I wanted to do a half and they asked which one I had signed up for. Being the consummate procrastinator - I said I didn't know. I think they thought I wasn't serious; so that evening I went home and signed up for my first half next April as well as a few practice races. I have an aquathon to see if I have improved since my one in April and another sprint triathlon coming up. I also signed up for some e-training to make sure that I am training properly - one for my sprint in October and the other is for my half in April. I am very excited. Stay tuned for more timely updates.